Christie's leadership takes flight with HFR and IMB - Christie Digital ...

Apex Entertainment has
received several honors
and awards for its
dedication in exhibition
Independents in North America
value Christie equipment,
services and VPF Program
Smaller independent exhibitors play an important
role and provide local audiences a connection to
their communities. Christie has helped regional
and local exhibitors move into the 21st century
of entertainment by providing the world’s most
preferred DLP Cinema ® projectors and dependable
customer service. Along with the Christie Virtual
Print Fee (VPF) Program, independents can now
afford their digital conversions and continue
to operate the way they always have, without
unwieldy fees and restrictions.
Apex Theatres, Louisville, KY
Locally owned by a group of
investors, Apex Entertainment, LLC,
currently operates 16 screens in
Louisville, Kentucky, including Baxter
Avenue Filmworks Theatre (Baxter).
Opened in 1996, Baxter is far from
a typical multiplex. It offers first-run,
foreign, and independent fare and
most recently, 3D movies, on eight
wall-to-wall screen auditoriums.
In addition to state-of-theart
projection equipment and
sound systems, Baxter's most
show-stopping assets are its
aesthetic allure, including a
multimedia video wall above the
concession stand, lighted moving sculptures, and
vintage posters and hand-painted murals by local
artists throughout.
“We have always had the highest regard for
Christie equipment, even before we started
installing their digital projectors,” says Leslie
Aberson, President, Apex Theatres. Currently
Baxter has five Christie Solaria ® Series digital
projectors installed with the remaining three
screens scheduled for conversion by mid-2012.
“We appreciate Christie's reliability and economical
operation that provide savings day in and day out.
According to Gary Engvold, president of
Integrity Entertainment Solutions, LLC, a certified
Christie partner, who handled the installation,
“We recommend Christie projectors because
they typically use a lamp size smaller than the
competition on the same screen, providing more
light and using less electricity. They are known for
the brightest and highest performance projectors
and the lowest cost of ownership.”
Christie VPF — best return on
investment
After much research, Baxter contracted with
Christie for their VPF Program because they
considered it to be the most friendly. “The
Christie VPF Program is straight forward, and
in comparison to others, it is the best deal out
there. In terms of simple economics, we get the
best return on our money because the VPFs are
paid faster and we have the ability to depreciate
the equipment under Christie’s self-financing
program,” explains Aberson. “We didn’t have
to jump through hoops and deal with all sorts
of restrictions.”
In response to exhibitors, Christie has expanded its
VPF Program until September 30, 2012.
Canadian exhibitors embrace
Christie total solutions
Landmark selects Christie
for full digital conversion
Landmark Cinemas of Canada Inc.(Landmark) is
western Canada’s largest independent exhibitor.
They operate 31 cinema complexes, with a
combined total of 111 screens, in 28 locations
in the four western provinces and the Yukon.
Privately owned and operated since 1965, the
partners who make up the ownership group of
Landmark have strong roots to film exhibition.
The digital conversions for 100+ screens —
including a range of DCI-compliant Christie
Solaria ® Series projectors installed by King
Cinema — is to be completed over the next six
months with no disruption in service. Landmark
will provide state-of-the-art entertainment in all
its markets, including 2D and 3D movies, live
events and other alternative content.
“Christie guarantees us the twin pillars of
superior product and the best people,” says Neil
Campbell, chief operating officer, Landmark
Cinemas. “The team at Christie is highly responsive.
I can find the managers I need whenever I need
them, and they’re always focused on meeting the
unique requirements of each cinema.”
Christie Managed Services
and VPF Program
Signing onto Christie Managed Services enables
Christie to remotely monitor and manage
Landmark’s digital cinema environments in real
time and to reap the full benefit of digitization.
Included with the hardware will be Christie’s
Library Management Servers for playing on
multiple Landmark screens. They also subscribe
to Christie’s simplified and customized Virtual
Print Fee (VPF) Program that provides financial
support for exhibitors seeking the greatest
independence in making the move to DLP
Cinema ® digital cinema projection systems.
“The program offers Landmark expert support
and flexible options for all phases of the digital
conversion process, including Christie’s Network
Operations Center (NOC) services, providing
24/7 /365 technical support,” added Muscat.
Cinémas Guzzo goes
100% digital with Christie
One of Canada’s leading independent chains,
Les Cinémas Guzzo (“Guzzo”) is the largest
privately owned cinema chain in Quebec. Part
of the Quebec cinema scene since 1974, it was
founded by Angelo Guzzo, and currently has
more than 140 screens, mainly in the Montreal
area. Angelo Guzzo and his son Vincenzo work as
a team to bring moviegoers the best that cinema
has to offer, including installation of Christie
Solaria ® Series Series 2K projectors as well as
the upgrading of 27 screens to Christie’s next
generation Solaria 4K DLP Cinema ® projectors.
“In addition to the terrific image quality offered
by digital projection, the conversion will give us
more flexibility in the types of presentation we can
offer, such as 3D, and more personalized pre-show
and alternative content,” says Vincenzo Guzzo,
executive vice president and chief operating officer,
Cinémas Guzzo. The conversion of all 142 Guzzo
screens, managed in-house and supported by
Christie, is planned for completion by April 2012.
“With Christie, we get first-class service and great
after-sale support. We’ve been with Christie from
our first installs in 2008, so we know they’re the
most reliable choice for this project,”Guzzo added.
Services, systems and support
Guzzo is working with Christie Managed Services
in support of sourcing,
integrating and validating
hardware that enables
remote monitoring and
management of Guzzo’s
digital cinema projection
environments. Included with
the hardware are Library
Management Servers that
hold the feature films,
advertisements, trailers and
other digital content for
playing on multiple screens.
Cinémas Guzzo will also use
Christie ACT , a theater
automation controller to
automate presentations in
some of its theaters.
Dave Muscat, senior director of sales, Christie
Canada, noted, “Christie has helped Cinémas
Guzzo make this pivotal transition to digital, with
best-in-class product and flexible, customized service.
Today we have more than 85 percent of Canada's
digital cinema market through our commitment to
long-term partnership with our customers.”
“Christie guarantees
us the twin pillars
of superior product
and the best
people.”
Neil Campbell
Chief Operating Officer
Landmark Cinemas
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